Sarah Burton’s Shark Pinch Boot Bites Back

At the outset of summer, shark-mania is a mania that cyclically reinvents itself to no exhaustion. Now, at the tail-end of the season, it seems the same can be said for another type of shark-mania, that which surrounds Givenchy’s Shark Boot, as the house welcomes yet another stunning spin on its highly coveted shoe—the Shark Pinch. Except, here it’s safe to say adrenaline rushes needn’t take cues from jump scares and menacing scores in intervals of E and F. Rather, the score to get your blood pumping as summer dims to fall can simply be heard in the clickity-clack of a heel and the sumptuous swoosh of a calfskin boot brushing up against its pair.

The sound to follow for suspense all leads back to the Shark Pinch Boot. The latest evolution of Givenchy’s storied boot, like the maritime predators it borrows its name from…well, let’s just say apex is an apt descriptor; in fashion’s ecosystem, there is nothing quite as vicious as vying for “it-shoe” status, and there is perhaps no boot as adaptive (and continually evolving) as Givenchy’s. Now that Sarah Burton has taken the reins of the storied Parisian fashion house, the boot adapts once more, as knee-highs soar to thigh-highs—the adrenaline rush of the boot soaring even higher.

As a couturier whose sharp eye and nimble hand continue to marvel fashion’s most fervent followers with awe-inspiring craftsmanship, Burton shifts her gaze to bring some of that couture prowess down to the boot. Through a delicate layering effect, Burton manipulates volume in such a way that intensifies the illusion of its depth. All the while, the house’s “Pinch” hardware adds a baby-sized bite of metal to the spectacle. Safe to say, these boots are for those with a penchant for high-impact drama. 

First spotted on the FW26 runway in the cavernous expanse of Les Invalides, in Paris, the newfangled boot teased its debut, emerging not in a straight line, but rather cutting in at a fierce curve through a giant zoetrope. At first glance, not much could be seen but the advancing silhouette of a new boot, whose bold shape captivated onlookers with a vertiginous spike of anticipation. The lights burned hot, the front row hotter as they hyperventilated the closer the then-novel boot drew. Hearts raced, hairs raised, and as the Shark Boot charged forth onto the runway, its image seared into the minds of the style-savvy. 

Givenchy made it clear: this was the shoe to watch out for. Oh, and the who’s who not only watched, but fell—fast and hard! In the blink of an eye, the Shark Boot snuck its way onto fashion royalty, with its head-turning silhouette and statement-making details. Be it on Ariana Grande in a stunning custom set embroidered with silver wisterias for her Eternal Sunshine tour, on Anya Taylor-Joy with tear-jerking custom floral detailing at the Tokyo promotional tour of The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, or Teyana Taylor at the pre-Oscars party in classic all-black, the Shark Pinch Boot is not for the faint of heart. These boots bite back!

Featuring a cutting-edge double-shank construction, the look is fluid, balanced, and slippery-sleek. What’s more, its carefully devised design elongates the leg—while following its natural movement. Boots that conquer and liberate! Burton being Burton, could not be a better fit to elevate the house’s timeless boot. It was she, after all, who built an illustrious career intuiting what women truly desire in their wardrobes. And while a thigh-high, heeled boot in the hands of another designer may very well be tantamount to setting a trap for prey, in hers, it’s a launch to the top of the pyramid.

Click here to discover the sequel to a storied staple.